Parenting Advice Then and Now

Raising kids is stressful for moms who want to do the best job they can. It seems your doctor says one thing, but your parents and grandparents give completely conflicting advice.

What you all have in common is you want the baby to be healthy and happy. The older generations mean well, but have very different ideas about exactly how a child should be parented. Why is this?

The answer is that parenting trends change frequently. Recommendations from doctors flip flop back and forth through the years based on the available research at the time. Let’s look at how some of the trends changed from generation to generations.

INTRODUCING SOLIDS

In the 1950s, doctors recommended introducing solids to babies at four weeks old. Today, most moms and dads breast or bottle-feed the baby for the first few months. Experts recommend parents wait to start solids until at least five months old.

TEETHING

From the 1860s until the 1930s, moms swore by a teething formula that contained alcohol and morphine sulfate until it was banned. Now, three in four moms opt for a frozen toy or food to soothe baby’s teething pains.

SWADDLING

Beginning in the seventeenth century (when wet nurses were popular), doctors and philosophers opposed swaddling, saying it was a means to neglect and repress children. Today, experts recommend you swaddle baby for warmth and security.

POTTY TRAINING

In the early 1900s, many parents began potty training baby early – sometimes as early as one month. Now, most parents begin potty training when their kids are at least 18 months old. Others delay the training longer, waiting until their child gives potty “cues.”

BABY-CARRYING

From the mid-1800s through most of the twentieth century, carriages and prams were the primary mode of baby-carrying. Today many more options are available. The most popular method seems to be to wear a front pack to carry baby.

CAR SAFETY

Although cars were mass-produced starting in the early 1900s, child car seats were not introduced until the 1960s. Nearly all parents these days use a car seat when transporting baby. As a result, death rates from car accidents are vastly lower than 50 years ago.

What do you think about these parenting trends? Share your thoughts in the comments below!